You will now need to book an appointment to apply for a Kenyan passport

The Kenyan Government has today announced that you need to book a appointment to be able to submit your application for a new Kenyan passport.

Kenyans applying for a new passport or renewing their passports will need to book an appointment on the eCitizen platform before submitting their passport application. They will need to choose an available date and the passport application centre of their choice.

There are however those that do not need to book an appointment to submit their application for new passports. They will however need to provide proof of the need to travel as they submit their applications. They include;

People travelling abroad for urgent medical attention.

Students on scholarship that need to travel urgently

Public servants who need to travel urgently

Business people who need to travel urgently for business.

Under the new system, you will be required to book the appointment on eCitizen, print your application and then submit it on the date that you chose. The immigration centres that are currently processing the new Kenyan passports in Kenya are in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Kisii, Eldoret, and Embu. The passports are also being issued at the Kenyan embassy in Washington DC. At the centres, immigration officials will receive your application plus required documents and also take your fingerprints, digital photo and signature.

This new measure is in a bid to curb the long queues that have been witnessed in the past especially in Nairobi. This was caused by a rush to beat the deadline for application for the new Kenyan passports. Kenya introduced a new Kenyan passport in 2017 and set a deadline for the operation of the old passport. The new Kenyan passport is an ePassport and has new features that include;

Electronic chip holding the same information as the old model passport

Biometric identifier

Digital photograph of the passport holder

Security features to prevent unauthorized use and forgery.

Details of the ePassport will be registered with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).